


Electricity

by xBlackxRosexRebellionx



Series: The Women of SAMCRO [1]
Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-14 22:57:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21023618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xBlackxRosexRebellionx/pseuds/xBlackxRosexRebellionx
Summary: Chibs has finally met a girl that catches his eye. She's smart, she's sassy, she's funny. She's a total knockout. The only problem is, her father is a retired DEA agent who could bring the WHOLE club down. And the one thing that Marcus Malone takes more seriously than his job is his role as a father. But women always have been Chibs' greatest weakness.Rating will change to Explicit with later chapters.





	Electricity

**Author's Note:**

> I've always loved Chibs' character. It could be the fact that I'm attracted to older men. It could be the fact that accents are a huge turn-on for me - British, Irish, Scottish, Australian, hell even Southern accents from the United States. It could be the fact that I've always found him to be the funniest character from Sons of Anarchy. I always found his character more amusing than the others. And then there's the fact that Tommy Flanagan plays his character, and we ALL know that Tommy is a handsome son of a bitch. Regardless of your reason for choosing to read this story, I think we can ALL agree that Chibs doesn't get NEARLY enough attention in fan fictions or even the show in general until like the last two seasons. So this one is for Chibs, may he FINALLY get some lovin'.
> 
> As said in the summary, the rating will change to E when more explicit content is featured in later chapters.

** _Electricity:_ **

** _A Sons of Anarchy Story_ **

** **

** _ Chapter 1: _ **

_Saturday, October 24_

_6:05 PM_

_Jericho, California – Jericho University_

Trista Malone was perched in a chair in front of the mirror on her dresser while her closest friend applied makeup to her face, drilling her with a million and one questions. Tris’ twin sister, Jenelle, was rummaging through the closet, trying to find an outfit for her to wear.

“How the hell are you even _remotely _okay with this, Jenelle?” Jade Stevens questioned, her ebony colored brows furrowed as she stole a quick glance over Tris’ head to glare at Tris’ twin.

“Oh please!” the younger of the two twins called back from inside the closet, “Fucking relax, would you? Get your thong out of a twist, Jay. It’s just a party. And besides, Tris was invited.”

“Yeah, to a fucking _biker _bar!” Jade cried, “They’re the Sons of Anarchy, Jenelle, not fucking One Direction!”

“That’s a damn good thing,” Jenelle informed her, pointing at Jade from her place inside of the closet as she pulled another hanger off of the rack to examine the shirt hanging on it.

“What the literal fuck?” Jade questioned, glancing down at Tris as Tris peered up at her best friend while she applied black mascara to her lashes, “Is she fucking dense?”

Tris’ lips curled down in thought for a moment before she gave a nod, making Jade crack a smile for a second before she pointed at Jenelle once more and snapped, “You’re her fucking sister! You’re supposed to look out for her!”

“That’s your job,” Jenelle retorted as she finally selected a top from the closet and carried it over to set it on Tris’ bed.

“Oh what the fuck are you even good for then?” Jade inquired as she put the finishing touches on Tris’ makeup.

“I’m here to make sure she has _fun,”_ came Jenelle’s witty little quip, “You know? Fun? As in F-U-N?”

“Fun? What good is fun if she’s dead?” Jade hinted, cocking one ebony colored brow at her.

“Oh you can be such a drama queen sometimes, I swear,” Jenelle huffed as she went to fetch a short, denim skirt from her own bedroom and threw a pair of socks, a bra, and matching panties onto the bed beside it. Then she went to go fetch a pair of shoes for Tris to complete the ensemble.

“Well _someone _has to look out for her, as you just pointed out,” Jade reminded her.

“I’m going with her, aren’t I?” Jenelle snapped as she hinted, not so subtly to her twin, “Today, Junior. We’re gonna be late if you don’t hurry the fuck up.”

“Oh please!” Jade scoffed, “You’ve got _plenty_ of time. These fucking parties last all damn night and halfway into the morning.”

“And just how would _you _know that, Miss Goody Two Shoes?” Jenelle asked, cocking one brow at her as she studied her closely with those forest green eyes.

“I know more than you think. And besides, _anyone _that knows _anything _about the Sons has heard about the crazy parties they throw every weekend,” Jay informed her, cocking her own brow as she stared the younger Malone twin down, “Now… Why don’t you be a dear and give Tris a little space and let her finish getting ready?”

Jenelle’s brows rose and her jaw dropped open as Jay’s lips curled up into a crooked little smirk and her chocolate colored eyes narrowed into a glare.

Jenelle narrowed her own green eyes at Jay before stealing a glance at Tris, waiting for her twin to jump in and defend her.

But, rather than defend her, Tris slid off of the chair and headed over to her bed to examine the clothes that Jenelle had picked out for her.

Jenelle gave a loud huff of frustration and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind her and making Tris and Jay burst into a fit of giggles.

“What is she, like five?” Jay teased.

Jay saw Tris’ brows furrow as she studied the clothes lying on her bed and Jay’s own eyes found the outfit her sister had selected for her.

“That might work…” Jay mused aloud, “If you’re working the fucking corner.”

Tris bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing but nodded her agreement. She was right. The outfit looked fit for a hooker.

Heaving a sigh, Jay scooped up the shirt and went to go hang it back in the closet before laying the skirt over the back of Tris’ chair.

“Honey, just be yourself. If this guy actually shows up and you really do like him, fine. But he’s not worth it if he can’t accept you for you. If he doesn’t like you the way you are, then fuck him. He’s not worth your time,” Jay informed her.

Tris gave a small smile at that, nodding her head, and Jay went to go fetch a tank top out of Tris’ closet, carrying it over to hand it to her as she wiggled her brows at her best friend and hinted, “Besides, you’ll _kill _it in this and those tight jeans you have with the cross and jewels on your ass.”

Tris giggled at that, shaking her head at her best friend but taking the tank top from her and glancing down to find that it was a charcoal gray, razorback tank top with a skull that was framed on one side by red roses that led down to stop halfway down the tank top. A slow grin curled at her lips as a playful glint filled her gray-green orbs and she gave a nod to her best friend before going to find the jeans Jay had mentioned.

She pulled the clothes on with the matching black lace bra and the cheeky set of black cotton panties with lace trim that barely even covered _half _of her ass. Finally, she pulled her ankle socks on and slipped her feet into her trusty, brown Doc Martin shoes.

She looked at Jay and Jay flashed her a huge grin before pulling her into a quick hug.

“All right, sweetie. Are you ready?” Jay asked.

“Well… As ready as I’ll ever be,” came Tris’ response.

Jay grinned at her and assured her, “You’re gonna knock ‘em dead, honey. Shall we get this show on the road?”

“You’re coming with us?” Tris asked, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of her best friend tagging along as her wing woman for the night.

“Not this time,” Jay told her, “I have to study for an exam on Monday –,”

Tris’ hopes fell, and her smile right along with it.

“Jenelle is driving you guys there,” Jay finished, tilting her best friend’s chin up to catch her eyes, “But you call me if you have _any _troubles – any at _all _– and I’ll come get you.”

Tris gave an energetic nod and Jay smiled at her, pulling her into one last hug before she whispered into her ear, “Now… You’d better get going before Jenelle has another bitch fit.”

Both girls laughed at that and Tris nodded, hugging her friend tighter before pulling away.

“Tell Gemma I said hi,” Jay spoke up as her friend headed for the bedroom door.

Tris’ paused, her brows furrowed as she asked, “Who’s Gemma?”

How the hell did Jay know someone that went to SAMCRO parties?

“She’s my aunt,” Jay explained with a downward wave of her hand, “My mother’s sister.”

Tris gave a slow nod and Jay added, “You can’t miss her. She’s got long, dark hair and an unmistakable scar that runs down her chest.”

Tris nodded once more and informed her, “I’ll be on the lookout for her.”

“She’ll know who I am,” Jay assured her, “Now… You’d better get going.”

“I’ll check in,” Tris reassured Jay as she started for the bedroom door once more, glancing back at her over her shoulder as she stepped out into the hall, “Try not to worry too much.”

“I make no promises!” Jay called back as Tris disappeared down the hall.

********************

_9:00 PM_

_Charming, California – SAMCRO Clubhouse_

“Jesus Christ, Jenelle!” Trista exclaimed as her twin pulled up to the curb and the car jerked to a stop.

“What?” Jenelle asked, her brows wrinkled in confusion.

“Just because your car _can_ do 90 miles an hour doesn’t necessarily mean that you _should _do 90 miles an hour,” Tris stated.

“Oh please!” Jenelle retorted, “Don’t act like you didn’t like it.”

Tris’ head jerked back slightly and she stared at her twin in disbelief as a wicked little grin curled Jenelle’s lips and she leaned in closer to whisper conspiratorially, “I saw you squirming in your seat over there and pressing your thighs together. _Someone’s _a little _adrenaline junkie.”_

“Oh shut up!” Tris told her, reaching out for the handle on the car door and pushing it open, “You’re impossible, you know that?”

She nearly jumped out of her skin as the sound of hard rock music blaring from the building greeted her ears.

“And you’re too much fun to fuck with!” came Jenelle’s quick quip as she yelled to be heard over the loud music.

Tris sighed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes as she caught herself wishing for the umpteenth time already that night that Jay would’ve come with her instead. At least then maybe she would’ve enjoyed herself.

Tris rounded the corner of the chain link fence that was posted on either side of the parking lot and came to a stop, her gray-green eyes growing wide and her jaw falling open as she caught sight of all the motorcycles and cars lining the parking lot in front of a building that boasted the title “Teller-Morrow Automotive Repair”.

She faintly heard footsteps approaching her from behind just before she felt a gentle hand clap her on the shoulder, an arm draping across her shoulders as her twin pulled her into a quick hug and pressed a kiss to her temple, suggesting, “Come on. Let’s go have a look, shall we?”

“You know dad’s gonna _kill _us if he catches us here, right?” Tris hissed to her sister.

“Tris, he’s 3 hours away. And besides, I thought you wanted to meet ‘tall, dark, and dreamy’. Didn’t he invite you here?” Jenelle hinted.

Tris gave a little nod and Jenelle said, “Well then, let’s _go, _before he finds someone else here at the party.”

Tris took a deep breath in through her nose and gave a jerky nod, letting her twin guide her up the length of the parking lot.

“These things are _legendary!” _Jenelle told her twin, “They say some have lasted ‘til 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning!”

Tris saw the huge grin that stretched across her twin’s face and couldn’t help but shake her head and laugh at her sister. Leave it to Jenelle. She was _always _down for a good party. But Tris…? Well, Tris was the quieter kind. She spent most nights at the townhouse studying, working on homework, or watching a movie on the couch with Jay.

So this… This was a _huge _step for Tris. But Joey had said he would be here. In fact, _he _had invited her to the party. So she had to at _least _show up at the party to look him up.

Jenelle guided them right for the action, following the sound of loud, raucous laughter to discover that there was a boxing match going on in an outside boxing ring.

“Oh my God!” Jenelle cried, practically skipping right over to the ring and dragging Tris along behind her, “This is_ so_ cool!”

Tris, on the other hand, flinched harshly when the bald man that was covered in tattoos dealt the wild-haired man with curly, black hair a good right hook to the jaw. The loud _CRACK_ that was heard made Tris’ pale eyes widen and she tightened her grip on her twin’s arm.

_“Yeah!_ Get him, Hap!” a loud voice rang out over the rest, laced heavily with a Scottish accent.

Tris’ ears perked up at that, her head whipping around to find a man standing on the other side of the ring, clapping and whistling loudly as he watched the fight. Tris had always had a thing for men with accents. And, while this guy was probably old enough to be her father, if the traces of silver that streaked through his dark hair were any indication, he was undeniably hot. She sank her teeth into her bottom lip as she studied him, taking in his long, salt and pepper hair that fell around his ears, the back of it brushing the nape of his neck. His eyes were dark, the color of chocolate, and they matched his dark hair and goatee well. He was tall, probably standing at 6’1” and built with a sturdy frame, compared to her slight but curvy 5’3” frame. He was dressed in black from his collar clear down to his toes – a black, long-sleeved, leather shirt, a black leather vest over his shirt, black jeans that hugged his form, and scuffed, black boots on his feet. There was a thick, silver chain that hung from the back pocket of his jeans to his front pocket. For a guy his age, he sure as hell had style.

Tris didn’t even realize she was staring until her twin reached out to slap her arm and ask, _“Tris…? Helloooo…? _Earth to Tris?”

Tris damn near jumped right out of her skin, flinching harshly and whipping her head around to look at her twin, asking, “Huh?”

“What are you even staring at?” Jenelle questioned, trying to follow her gaze when Tris refused to answer.

“Oh… Oh _no _fucking way…” Jenelle said as a slow, wicked grin stretched across her face, “It seems sweet little Trissie has a crush on one of the Sons.”

“What?!” Tris cried, jerking her head back and looking from her sister to the guy and back again, “I do not!”

“Yes you do,” Jenelle insisted.

“Do not!” Tris shouted, flinching as she realized that she’d said it a little louder than she’d intended, having gathered collective gazes from people all around them.

“Oh you _so _do,” Jenelle teased, a playful glint filling her green eyes as she waggled her brows at her twin.

“Shut the fuck up,” Tris mumbled, casually trying to steal another glance over at the hot mystery guy, only to discover that those dark eyes were locked right on her now.

Her cheeks flamed and she was quick to cast her eyes down at the ground, reaching up to toy with a piece of her long, crimson colored hair, twirling it around her finger.

“Oh… Oh he’s definitely watching…” her twin informed her.

“What?!” Tris hissed quietly, “He is not!”

“Oh he _definitely _is,” Jenelle countered just a moment before she warned, “Incoming…”

“What? What are you –,” Tris started to ask, her head snapping up and her pale eyes scanning the masses until she located the Scot in question, who was, in fact, heading their way.

“Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!” Tris cursed under her breath, her heart slamming against her ribcage and her breathing coming a little faster even as her sister had the audacity to stand there and laugh at her.

** _*************_ **

Filip Telford felt the smile curling at his lips as he drew closer to the young woman. She was obviously panicking, those pretty, pale eyes growing wide as she seemed to mutter something under her breath, watching as he drew closer.

“Well hello there, lass,” Chibs greeted in his thick, Scottish brogue, watching the timid little redhead closely.

“H-Hi,” she stammered, offering him a shy little smile before her eyes met the ground.

But not before he discovered that those pretty, pale orbs were a gray-green color. Her complexion was pale, her long, curly locks the color of crimson. She was short, slender, but she had ample curves that were quick to catch and hold his attention. Her lips were full and sensual, her chin small and rounded, her features almost angelic, and he knew that she wouldn’t last long tonight, not at a party like this. One of the guys would wind up taking a pretty young thing like her home and the mere _thought_ of another man buried between those thighs made his stomach twist in jealousy. No. He would have her or _no one_ would have her.

“What’s yer name, luv?” he asked, “I’ve never seen ya around.”

Those pale eyes met his dark ones once more and she just blinked, her mouth open, jaw working, but no sound came out.

“Her name is Trista,” the girl she’d apparently come with answered for her, “She’s from Jericho.”

_“Jericho?”_ Chibs questioned, his brows furrowing, “That’s 3 hours over. That’s quite a drive for a party, iddn’t it?”

The little redhead shrugged her shoulders, her eyes meeting his for a moment before flitting away once again as she mumbled, “A guy from one of my classes invited me. He said to meet him here, to look him up.”

“A guy from class, eh?” Chibs inquired, “You a college girl?”

The little redhead just nodded, stealing a quick glance up at him but not offering him the name of the college she attended. She was a smart girl, not wanting to give too much information about herself away to someone she barely knew. And Chibs had always had a weakness for smart girls.

“So does this lad have a name?” Chibs prompted the skittish young woman.

“Joey,” she answered, “Joey Whitmore.”

“Never heard of him, luv,” Chibs replied.

“He said that SAMCRO throws the wildest parties in three counties,” Trista murmured, her eyes finally locking on him as her brows furrowed.

“Aye, that we do, lass,” Chibs agreed with a nod, reaching out to snag Jax by the arm as he walked by, pulling him over to ask, “Hey, Jackie, you ever heard of a guy named Joey Whitmore?”

“Nah, man,” Jax replied, shaking his head as he looked at Chibs, “Never heard of him. Why?”

“Well there are two young ladies here lookin’ for him. They said that he invited ‘em to the party,” Chibs told the club’s vice president.

Jax just shrugged his shoulders, stating, “Well, if they got an invite, they might as well stay.”

“Aye,” Chibs said with a nod, “Might as well enjoy the party.”

Jax turned and started to leave again before his blue eyes locked on the little redhead’s friend, and he asked, “And who might you be, darlin’?”

“Jenelle,” the bold little brunette answered, reaching out to offer him her hand, “Jenelle Malone.”

“Jenelle!” the little redhead scolded, reaching out to slap her friend with the back of her hand, “We don’t even know these guys!”

“And you apparently don’t know Joey as well as you thought you did either,” her friend pointed out before turning her attention back to Jax and explaining, “You’ll have to excuse my twin. She’s a bit of a freak, not much for company.”

_“Twin?” _Chibs and Jax asked in unison, making Jenelle giggle.

“But you two don’t look anything alike,” Jax pointed out, gesturing at first one of the girls and then the other.

“I didn’t say we were _identical _twins,” Jenelle clarified, “I just said we were twins.”

“Right…” Jax said, giving a slow nod before a wolfish grin curled at his lips and he inquired, “You uh… Wanna go grab a drink?”

He gave a jerk of his head in the direction of the clubhouse where the bar was located, holding a hand out towards Jenelle, and Jenelle grinned at him, quick to reply, “Sure! Let’s go.”

“Wh– But – Jenelle!” Trista stammered as she watched her twin practically skip off with SAMCRO’S VP.

Jenelle cast a glance back over her shoulder to offer her twin a crooked little smirk and a little finger wave as she walked off towards the bar.

Chibs coughed to cover up the laughter that started to bubble up from his throat, quickly reaching up to cover his mouth with one fist to hide the smile that twitched at his lips.

But Chibs lost that battle when the little redhead muttered, “That _bitch!”_

Then he erupted in a fit of laughter, his whole frame shaking with it as he shook his head at the little redhead before him.

“No harm, no foul,” Chibs assured her once he’d finally managed to recompose himself, “Jackie Boy will take good care of her. I’m sure we’ll find them at the end o’ the night.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Trista replied, “I love my sister to death, but she’s kind of a little whore.”

Chibs’ brows rose at that and he gave a low whistle, replying, “That’s a bit harsh, now iddn’t it?”

Trista gave a little sigh and answered, “Maybe. But it’s the truth. I’ve known _guys_ with higher standards than her.”

“Ouch,” Chibs commented.

Trista shrugged her shoulders and Chibs tried to divert her attention, asking, “Ya wanna go grab a drink, lass?”

“Well…” she pondered aloud, “I really shouldn’t. But I think I will. It’s been a while. And if I’m gonna have to deal with her sorry ass later tonight… I’m gonna need a few.”

“Ah… Yer one o’ _those _girls, aren’t ya?” he questioned.

“One of _what _girls?” she asked.

“One o’ the girls that stays in every night and works on her homework,” he answered.

“How else am I supposed to pass my classes?” she retorted.

“How else are ya supposed to have any _fun?” _he countered.

She was silent for a moment and he pointed at her, stating, “See? Just let loose for once, darlin’. Have a little fun. It’s a Friday night, for fuck’s sake. Live a little.”

He could see her shoulders slump a little as she seemed to relax a bit.

“Besides, we don’t kill college girls, if that’s what yer afraid of,” he teased, waggling his brows at her playfully, “We fuck ‘em.”

Her eyebrows hiked up her forehead, those pretty, pale eyes growing wide, and the sharp gasp that escaped her had his cock twitching in his jeans. Her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink and his brows furrowed at that.

“What? Ya act like you’ve never had sex before, luv,” he bantered playfully, giving her a gentle shove with his shoulder.

She remained completely silent, her cheeks flushing even brighter as she fixed her eyes on the ground.

“Jesus! Mary Mother o’ Christ!” he cried, “Have you really never…?”

“I… How about that drink?” she asked, obviously hoping to dodge the subject as she started off in the direction of the clubhouse, leaving Chibs to stand there watching as his brain struggled to wrap itself around the idea that such a pretty little thing had never had a man between her thighs.

** _**************_ **

The hot Scotsman was quick to catch up, his long legs quickly eating up the distance that separated them as he informed her, _“Oh_ no. Yer not gonna weasel yer way outta that one, lass. Ya can’t just drop a bomb on a man like that and walk away.”

But Tris simply pressed her lips together firmly, her cheeks flaming as she headed for the building she’d seen her sister and the Scotsman’s friend disappear to earlier. She was surprised though when he reached around her, tugging the door open even as she reached for it herself.

Her fingers brushed against the back of his hand and she was quick to jerk her hand back, apologizing, “Oh! I’m sorry!”

“Nonsense,” he told her, shaking his head as he held the door open for her with one hand and gestured for her to head on inside with his other hand, “Ladies first.”

A blush tinted her cheeks as she gave a single, downward nod of her head and walked past him, entering the building. She was instantly greeted with the strong scent of cigarette smoke, laced with hard liquor, beer, and sweat. Her nose wrinkled for a moment but she was quick to recompose herself, making her way over to the bar.

A pout curled at her lips as she discovered that all of the barstools were already taken.

But that little problem was quickly solved when a certain Scotsman spoke up, reaching out to clap a couple of the occupants on the shoulder and order, “Hey, piss off! These seats are taken.”

At first Tris thought the gesture was a bit rude but, upon discovering that both of the occupants of the barstools were wearing black leather jackets with a patch that had a reaper and the words “SAMCRO – Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original”, she realized that the Scotsman must have known these men. And, when they turned around on their stools, revealing a label on their jackets that read “Prospect”, she knew that they were the low men on the totem pole.

“Sure thing, Chibs,” the one with curly, copper colored hair and bright blue eyes said, giving a quick nod and sliding from his stool.

“You got it,” the other one with long, brown hair that was pulled up into a bun and stubble lining his jaw agreed, quickly abandoning his perch.

Tris offered the men an apologetic smile, murmuring a quiet, “Sorry.”

They just nodded, avoiding eye contact as the Scotsman watched them grab their drinks and make a beeline away from the bar. He watched them until they were a safe distance away before he claimed the barstool at the end of the bar.

“Think ya can reach the seat, luv?” the Scotsman teased, a playful glint filling those chocolate colored eyes as he gazed down at her and easily slid onto his stool.

Tris cocked one brow at him but gave a little hop and landed halfway on the stool. She would’ve fallen right back off if it wasn’t for a certain Scotsman reaching out to grab a hold of her arm and helping her right herself on the stool.

There was no mistaking his laughter either as he watched her with amusement dancing in those dark eyes.

“Yer somethin’ else, lass,” he told her, shaking his head at her as he watched her out of the corner of his eye, “So… Whaddya like ta drink, luv?”

Tris nibbled at her bottom lip as her eyes skimmed over the drink menu listed on the wall above the drinks that lined the shelves. Finally, she let her eyes roam over the bottles themselves, a smile curling at her lips as she discovered her drink of choice.

“Find whatcha like?” the Scotsman asked, having to lean a little closer as the music blaring out of the speakers grew louder.

Tris caught a whiff of him then, her nostrils flaring as the rich blend of leather, sandalwood, sage, and cigarette smoke wafted to her. He smelled delicious. But she couldn’t think of that.

Tris nodded her head and he hollered, “Hey! Bobby! What’s a guy gotta do ta get a drink around here?!”

A middle-aged man with long, frizzy, curly, gray hair and a bulging beltline made his way over to them, setting his dark eyes on the Scotsman as he asked, “Whatcha havin’, Chibs?”

“Gimme a Jack and Coke,” Chibs told him, “Heavy on the Jack.”

The bartender nodded and was about to walk away to make his drink when Chibs added, “And gimme a…”

He turned his gaze to Tris then, trailing off to let her fill in the blank.

“Can I get a pineapple and Malibu please?” she asked.

Bobby’s brows rose as he looked from Tris to Chibs before answering, “You sure can, sweetheart.”

Tris offered the man a smile and leaned up from her stool, reaching into her back pocket for her billfold, but Chibs was quick to shake his head, reaching out to lower her hand and insisting, “Yer not payin’ for drinks tonight, luv. Put that shit away.”

Tris’ brows rose but she simply nodded, tucking her billfold back into her pocket and murmuring a quiet, “Thank you.”

She’d never had anyone buy her a drink before. Then again, this was the first time she’d ever stepped foot into a bar, the first time she’d ever been to a party where alcohol was served. So, to be fair, she didn’t really know _what _to expect.

They sat in silence as they waited for their drinks, Tris struggling to come up with some topic of conversation that wouldn’t bore the man beside her and Chibs simply letting his eyes roam over her, taking in every detail. Tris started to squirm a little as she felt those chocolate colored orbs sliding over her, almost as if he was evaluating her. But, to Bobby’s credit, it didn’t take him long to make their drinks and she was happy to accept hers when Bobby carried it over to set it on the bar in front of her.

When their drinks arrived, Tris attempted to strike up a conversation with the hot Scotsman beside her, turning in her stool slightly as she brought her cup up to her lips, wrapping them around the little red straw and taking a sip of the yellow, fruity drink.

“So… Chibs, huh?” she asked.

It sounded lame, even to her own ears, but it was all she could come up with.

“Aye,” Chibs answered with a nod, “It’s Scots slang for ‘street blade’.”

Tris’ jaw fell open in shock, her cheeks flaming as she offered a quick, “I’m sorry!”

“Nah,” he told her, shaking his head, “It’s all right, luv.”

“I… I wouldn’t have asked if I’d known…” she said, trailing off as she gestured across her face before pointing to his, referring to the matching scars that marked his cheeks in the gruesome form of a Glasgow Smile.

“Don’t worry about it, lass,” he insisted, “The whole club calls me by that name. Ya get used to it after a while.”

She gave a nod, happy to know that she hadn’t offended him in some way.

“So…” he hinted, “Tell me, how does a college girl from Jericho wind up clear down in Charming for a party?”

Tris’ cheeks burned a bright shade of pink and she took another sip of her drink before she answered, “Well… Like I said, there was a guy in one of my classes named Joey Whitmore that invited me to this party. I guess it was some sort of joke or something. It figures. The first party I actually go to in college and I didn’t even get a real invite.”

Chibs just laughed, shaking his head at her as he told her, “Doesn’t matter now, luv. Yer here. Might as well enjoy the rest of yer night.”

She took another sip of her drink, her eyes drifting shut for a moment. She had to hand it to Bobby. He sure knew how to make a good drink.

“’S it good, lass?” Chibs questioned, drawing her out of her thoughts.

She found those dark eyes fixed on her when she opened her own pale gray-green ones.

She nodded to him, replying, “Very good. Best drink I’ve had yet.”

“I’ll be sure ta tell Bobby that when I order my next one,” he said.

It was then that she realized that he was already halfway through his drink. Apparently, he could handle his liquor. But, coming from a Scotsman, she wasn’t too surprised.

Her father always liked to say that the Malones could outdrink anyone, due to the Irish blood running through their veins. Her brothers seemed to share this logic and so did Jenelle for that matter. But Tris had never been drunk before. And she planned to keep it that way. After all, she’d always been the one to get stuck babysitting them after one of their family gatherings. She’d seen and heard all of the stupid shit that they’d done while they’d been drunk. And she was not _about _to channel her inner karaoke queen or start stripping on the bar. In fact, she had no idea what she was capable of when she was drunk. And that was yet another reason to never get drunk in public.

“So… Yer a college girl,” Chibs prompted, “What are ya goin’ for?”

“Psychology,” Tris answered, clearly catching him by surprise as his dark brows hiked up his forehead.

“So ya wanna be a shrink then?” he inquired.

“Hell no!” she replied, shaking her head, “I listen to enough people’s problems as it is. I’m taking English as a minor. I want to write.”

Chibs’ brows rose even further at that and he gave a slow nod, commenting, “Ahh… So yer the creative type then?”

Tris just shrugged her shoulders, stating, “I’d like to think so. I’m already lined up to do an internship with the magazine there on campus next semester. I mean, it’s not exactly creative writing, but it’s a good start anyway.”

** _**************_ **

Chibs had to hand it to her. He was both surprised and impressed. This young woman couldn’t have been but 21 and she already seemed to have her life all figured out. She knew exactly what she wanted to do and she wasn’t hesitating to pursue it. That was more than most people her age could say. Hell it was more than some people his own age could say.

Over the course of the next two hours, he came to learn several things about Trista Malone. He’d discovered that she was one of five children, the fourth child in the family – even if it was just by twenty minutes. She had one sister and three brothers. Joel was the oldest of the Malone siblings and he owned a mechanic shop. Chaz was the second son in the family and he was the co-owner of a tattoo parlor that he’d opened with his best friend. Maddox was the middle child in the family and he was a trainer at an MMA gym. Jenelle, her twin sister, attended Jericho University with her but Jenelle was still trying to decide what it was that she wanted to do with her life.

Tris was a junior in college at Jericho University, where she studied psychology and English. She was born and raised in Jericho, California. She was taking 16 credit hours that semester and working part-time for the father of a family friend at an Italian restaurant. She shared a townhouse on campus with her closest friend, a girl that she had grown up with there in Jericho. She liked action and horror movies and she _hated _chick flicks or sappy romance novels. Her favorite authors were Gena Showalter and Laurann Dohner. She liked to write in what little spare time she got. Chocolate and “smellies” – as she called them – were her weaknesses. And the more he learned about Tris, the more interesting Chibs found the little redhead to be.

Their conversation came to a brief pause when Tris received a text message on her phone.

After glancing at her phone, Chibs heard her mutter under her breath, “Shit! I forgot to check in.”

His brows furrowed at that. Who would she have to check in with?

He was just opening his mouth to ask when she held one finger up and slid off of her stool, heading for the hallway. Chibs sank his teeth into his bottom lip as he watched her ass sway with each step.

Chibs heard a low whistle come from behind the bar before Bobby piped up to say, “You see the ass on that one, brother? You could bounce a dime off of that.”

“Aye,” Chibs agreed, “It’s the best damn one_ I’ve_ ever seen.”

“It’s a shame she’s gotta sit down on it,” Tig commented as he sidled up to the bar, leaning against the bar between Chibs’ and Tris’ barstools as the three men watched her make her way down the hall.

“Especially when she could be sittin’ on my face,” Chibs joked, causing raucous laughter from the three of them.

“She’s a nice little piece, Chibby,” Tig stated.

“Yeah, well, I doubt she’ll be back after tonight,” Chibs informed the boys.

“What? Why?” Tig questioned, his dark brows furrowing.

“She’s not the partyin’ type,” Chibs answered, “She’s a college girl. She goes ta Jericho University.”

“But that’s 3 hours away,” Tig pointed out.

_“Exactly,”_ Chibs said, “She seems like a good girl. She’s fun, sexy as hell, and smart – too damn smart ta wind up with a member o’ SAMCRO.”

“Oh bullshit,” Tig countered, “She seemed to like you just fine. Hell she’s spent the past two hours with you.”

“I’m old enough ta be her da,” Chibs reminded him.

“So?” Tig insisted, wiggling his eyebrows, “Some chicks are into that, you know.”

“Yeah, well, somehow I don’t get the feelin’ that she’ll be comin’ around here very often,” Chibs stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Who was that?” Gemma asked as she approached the group, her dark eyes fixed on the hallway, where Tris had disappeared to.

“Chibs’ little play thing for the night,” Tig razzed, wiggling his eyebrows even as Chibs shot him a glare and answered, “Her name is Trista Malone.”

“Ahh… So that’s who Jade called about,” Gemma sighed as she flagged Bobby down on his way back down the bar.

Bobby nodded and headed off to make her usual, Bacardi and Coke, as Tig asked, “She knows your niece?”

“Apparently so,” Gemma replied, “She’s Jade’s roommate there at JU. Jay called, sounding half-panicked because Tris had missed her check-in with her dad. I guess Tris’ dad called Jay and asked if she knew where the girl was. Jay made an excuse and called me to have me check up on her.”

Chibs’ brows furrowed at that. So Gemma’s niece knew this girl but she’d never brought her around the club before? If they’d been that close growing up, why had Jade never bothered to bring her to Charming?

“I take it her dad is a control freak then?” Tig inquired, giving a little chuckle.

“He’s a retired DEA agent,” Gemma informed the boys before pointing to Chibs and instructing, “You make sure she calls him. We don’t need a fed snooping around the clubhouse, even if he _is _a retired one.”

All of the boys’ brows rose, their jaws falling open, and Chibs was quick to nod, relaying, “That’s where she just went. She checked ‘er phone, got a panicky look on ‘er face, and scurried off ta go make a call.”

Gemma nodded before taking her cup and walking away, calling back over her shoulder, “You watch her, Chibs. I mean it.”

Chibs just nodded and Tig gave a low whistle, commenting, “Damn, Chibs. You sure know how to pick ‘em, brother.”

** _**************_ **

** **

When Trista returned to the bar, she found Chibs watching her with those chocolate colored eyes narrowed. She paused beside him for a moment, debating about whether to slide back onto her barstool or to just go find Jenelle and get the hell out of there. Her night was starting to take a turn for the worst. Her father had just reamed her ass for missing her check-in with him. Jade had left 3 voicemails on her phone, trying to get in touch with her. She was in a bar filled with people she didn’t know – most of whom probably had a rap sheet a mile wide. If her father were to find out where the hell she was, he’d keep her on house arrest for a _month. _And, to make matters worse, she had _no _idea where the hell her sister was.

She nearly jumped right out of her skin when Chibs reached out to catch her arm in a firm grip, leaning in to sneer, “When were ya gonna tell me that yer da was a fucking DEA agent, Malone?”

Tris panicked, her pale eyes growing wide as she whipped her head around to look at him and tried to jerk her arm out of his grasp. But his hold was firm. He wasn’t budging. He just pinned her with those dark, chocolate colored eyes, staring her down as he waited, none too patiently, for her answer.

“I… I didn’t… I mean I… I thought…” she stammered, “No one here knew me and… And I didn’t… I didn’t want to piss anyone off.”

“Too late for that, luv,” Chibs snarled, his fingers gripping her arm tight as he glared down at her.

“If he finds out I’m here, he’ll kill me!” she cried, all of her words rushing out in a hurry, “I… I missed my check-in and if he turns on the GPS –,”

“He’s got a GPS on you?” Chibs questioned.

“O-On my phone,” she stuttered, giving a nod.

“Then I think it’s time for you ta leave,” Chibs told her, sliding off of his stool and starting to drag her across the room, “Jax! Oh, Jackie Boy! Time’s up!”

“What – What are you doing?” Tris whimpered, her pale eyes shifting around the room as dozens of eyes turned to follow her and Chibs across the room, “Chibs! Shut up! You’re making a scene!”

“Oh, _Jackie Boy!” _Chibs hollered, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on Jax sitting in a chair in one corner of the room with Tris’ twin perched on his lap.

Chibs marched right over to the dazed couple as Jax pulled his lips from Jenelle’s, his brows furrowed as he asked, “What the hell, Chibs?”

“It’s time for the little bitch ta go, Jackie,” Chibs informed the vice president of the club.

“What are you talking about?” Jax inquired.

“Their da is a former DEA agent,” Chibs explained.

Jax practically flung Jenelle off of him, resulting in her stumbling backwards and nearly landing on her ass before she caught herself on a nearby table and regained her footing.

“He’s a _what?”_ several men from the crowd asked.

“Oh my God…” Tris mumbled, looking at her sister to find an equally horrified expression on her face.

** _**************_ **

** **

Chibs was livid. How _dare_ she waltz right into their clubhouse and act like she was so cute and sweet and innocent when her fucking father was a retired DEA agent, capable of bringing the _whole _damn club down. What had started off as a fun little game of cat and mouse, what he’d been _hoping _would result in him sliding his cock inside of the sexy little redheaded vixen at the end of the night, had quickly gone south. Now it was personal.

“Please!” Tris begged, “Please, we’ll leave! We’ll never come back. I swear it! We won’t mention a _word _about tonight. Your secret is safe.”

“Will somebody… Tell me… What the _hell _is going on here?” Clay barked from across the room, slamming his glass down on the table he was seated at, effectively shattering it and directing all attention to himself.

“These two little cunts are the daughters of a DEA agent,” Chibs informed the club’s president, reaching out to grab Tris’ twin by the arm as well.

He felt Tris flinch in his grasp but didn’t loosen his hold on her.

“Who the fuck do they belong to?” Clay asked with furrowed brows, his large hands clenching into fists on the table.

“Enough!” Gemma shouted, pushing herself onto her feet, “Trista is a friend of my niece’s. Jade called to ask how she was doing because she’d missed her check-in with her father. Trista’s father had called Jade, asking where Trista was, and Jade made an excuse for her. There’s no reason not to let the girls go.”

_“Who_ do they belong to?” Clay repeated himself, his pale blue eyes locked on his wife now.

“You don’t want to start a war with Marcus Malone. _Trust _me,” Gemma informed her husband, “He’ll personally see to it that he takes this whole fucking club down. Now let the girls go. I’m sure they’ve learned their lesson and they won’t be back. Isn’t that right, girls?”

Both of the twins gave a jerky nod and Chibs stole a glance down at Tris, finding her cheeks flaming, her pale eyes filled with unshed tears as she lowered her gaze to the floor. Something twisted in his chest and he almost felt sorry for her. Almost. But then he remembered the threat she posed to his club, to his very livelihood.

“Jesus Christ…” Clay grumbled, his pale blue eyes locked on the twins, “Marcus Malone is your old man?”

Both girls gave a nod to confirm this.

“Get them outta my sight,” Clay ordered, giving a jerk of his head towards the entrance of the bar.

“Clay –,” Gemma started to protest before Clay finished with, “Chibs, Jax, make sure these girls make it home… _safely_. We don’t want Malone to find a reason to come snooping around the clubhouse.”

Gemma breathed a sigh of relief and Jax gave a firm nod. Despite the fact that Chibs could barely even stand to be in the same room with Tris, let alone look at her after such a lofty betrayal, he gave an affirmative nod, reassuring his president that he would follow the orders he had been given.

Chibs dragged both of the girls across the room, heading for the entrance of the bar.

“If ya brought any shite with ya, now would be the time ta collect it,” Chibs growled as they made their way for the door.

Jenelle started to struggle in Chibs’ grasp as soon as they’d made it out the door of the clubhouse.

“Let _go!” _she snarled, “Jesus Christ! It’s just a fucking party! What the hell is your problem?”

_“You!” _Chibs barked, jerking the feistier of the two twins around to face him and glaring down at her with rage filling those dark chocolate colored orbs, “Are my problem! Shut yer yap!”

Jenelle jerked her head back as if he had just slapped her, nodding her head and lowering her gaze to the asphalt as Tris started mumbling, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry! We didn’t mean any harm. Honest.”

“Yeah, well, yer lucky yer fuckin’ da is the Jason Statham of DEA agents or Clay would’ve had ya both killed,” Chibs grumbled, starting across the parking lot once more with both girls in tow, “Where the fuck is yer car?”

“It’s parked down there at the end of the drive,” Jenelle answered, gesturing to her maroon colored Mistubishi Lancer Evolution X.

Jax gave a low whistle, his brows hiking up his forehead as he took in the car, and Chibs muttered, “Spoiled brats. Go figure.”

He felt Tris cringe in his grasp again and stole another glance down at her, finding that the tears were now spilling freely down her cheeks, though she didn’t make a sound. She kept her eyes trained on the pavement, her chin quivering slightly as she used her free hand to wipe away her tears. Again, Chibs felt his chest tighten. He almost felt bad for the little redhead. Almost.

** _**************_ **

Tris shuffled down the parking lot, feeling like her legs were made of lead. This wasn’t exactly how she’d hoped her evening would end. She wasn’t sure what was waiting for her when she returned to her townhouse. She wasn’t sure if her father had believed the elaborate excuse Jay had come up with for her lack of correspondence during her usual check-in time. She wasn’t quite sure if her father had believed her even when _she _had called to confirm that Jay’s story that they had been watching a movie there at the townhouse and had lost all track of time was true. Hell, if she was honest, she wasn’t sure of anything, except for the fact that she wouldn’t be forgetting the events that had played out that night any time soon.

When they reached Jenelle’s car, Chibs instructed, “Jackie Boy, you take the trouble maker. I’ll drive Cinderella here home. We’d better make it quick before she turns into a pumpkin.”

“What?!” Jenelle shrieked, “Oh no. _No, _no, no. You are _not _driving my car!”

“Hand ‘em over, sweetheart,” Chibs demanded, releasing Jenelle’s arm from his tight grip to hold his hand out towards her in the universal “give me” gesture.

“No,” the younger twin insisted, _“So _not happening.”

“Give me the fuckin’ keys!” Chibs snapped, “Before I bend ya over the back of this fuckin’ car and find ‘em myself! I’ve had about all the shite I can take for one night!”

Tris shivered in his grip, hearing the harsh tone of his voice, accompanied by the clear threat he issued. At this point, she genuinely believed he’d do it.

“Just give him the keys, Jenelle,” Tris said, her voice haggard, her body slumping with defeat.

“Can you even drive a stick shift?” Jenelle asked, her forest green eyes locked on the angry Scotsman that glared down at her, his chest heaving.

“What the fuck do you think?” he spat, “I’ve been drivin’ since before you were in nappies, sweetheart.”

Tris would’ve laughed at that, had her night not gone to shit just moments ago.

Jenelle narrowed her eyes into little slits but slowly reached back for her back pocket, pulling her keys from it to hand them over.

“Now go on,” Chibs instructed, giving a jerk of his head, “Get outta my sight. Jax, get ‘er on yer bike and get gone. If she opens that trap of ‘ers one more time, I’ll be tempted ta break it.”

Jenelle just gaped at him, her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide in shock. Jax gave a nod, nudging Jenelle towards his bike, which was parked at the end of the lineup, just a few feet across the parking lot.

“And you,” Chibs ordered, his dark eyes fixing on Tris once more, “Get in the fuckin’ car.”

Tris nodded her head, quick to comply, and reached for the handle of the door, tugging it open and folding herself into the passenger seat. She fastened her seatbelt, once inside, and forced herself to remain still as Chibs slid behind the wheel. She kept her gaze focused on the windshield, afraid to steal a glance in his direction for fear that it might trigger his anger, which she could sense was just barely restrained as it was. There was no denying that he was seething, his dark gaze revealing the rage that was boiling just beneath the surface.

“Fuckin’ hell,” he cursed as he closed the door behind him and slid the key into the ignition, firing the car up.

He turned to look at her then, informing her, “Yer trouble, ya know that? The worst kind.”

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, lowering her gaze to her lap as she fidgeted with her hands, “I never meant to cause any trouble.”

“Ya know… The worst part is…” he mused, “I’m still not quite sure if I’d rather bury my cock inside of ya or wrap my hands around yer throat.”

The shiver that ran down Tris’ spine then wasn’t one of fear, though she knew, without a doubt, that she _should _have been scared.

And he must have seen the lust that flickered in her eyes, if only for a moment, because he shook his head at himself, mumbling, “Nothin’ but trouble.”

He turned in his seat then, his dark eyes watching through the rearview mirror as Jax pulled out of the lot with Jenelle on the back of his bike. Once they were past, Chibs put the car in drive and maneuvered away from the curb and onto the road.

“Jenelle’s a bit careless, even reckless at times, but she won’t say anything about the Sons to our father,” Tris said, trying to think of something, anything, to reassure the angry Scotsman sitting beside her, “She knows our dad would have a bitch fit and she’d be grounded for _months.”_

“She’s not the one that I’m worried about,” Chibs informed her, piercing her with that dark stare as they came to a stop at a stop sign, “She strikes me as the kind that does this sort of thing all the time. But you… Yer daddy’s golden girl, aren’t ya, Tris?”

Tris lowered her gaze to her lap once more and gave a slight nod.

“Just how long do ya think ya can keep this a secret from daddy dearest?” Chibs asked.

“I’m not stupid, Chibs,” she scoffed, narrowing her eyes in annoyance, “I won’t tell anyone. I’m not a rat.”

“I hope, for yer sake, that yer tellin’ the truth, lass,” Chibs told her, “’Cause I’ll tell ya right now, if this becomes an issue for the club, Clay won’t hesitate ta have loose ends cut.”

Tris shivered at that and gave a jerky nod, turning her head to gaze out the window. Silence passed between them for a long moment before Chibs finally eased around the corner and onto the main road that would take them out of Charming.

“Better get comfortable,” Chibs said, “It’s a long fuckin’ drive.”

Tris couldn’t suppress the shudder that rippled down her spine as that one simple word slipped past his lips. She didn’t know why. She couldn’t explain it even if she tried, but, for some reason, it did wicked things to her body when the word “fuck” slipped from the Scotsman’s mouth.

No one had ever affected her like this man did. She’d never found herself biting her bottom lip when she’d glanced at a man before, but she’d caught herself doing it _several _times tonight when she’d stolen fleeting glimpses at Chibs. She’d never felt her heart race when a man’s eyes had slid over her body, thundering rapidly until it threatened to beat right out of her chest, but it had tonight when Chibs had let his eyes rake over her back at the bar. She’d never felt her inner muscles seize at something as simple as a four letter word slipping past a man’s lips, but, by God, that was _exactly _the reaction her body gave every time that filthy, four-letter word slipped past the Scotsman’s full lips. She didn’t know what it was, but there was just something about this man, a man that was probably old enough to be her father, that made her feel like an addict craving that next high.

“Hasn’t anyone ever told ya it’s not polite ta stare?” he hinted as he took his eyes off of the road for a brief moment to steal a glance over in her direction.

“Shit! I’m sorry,” she was quick to apologize, lowering her gaze to her lap for the umpteenth time that night.

She hadn’t even realized that she’d been staring. But, apparently, her eyes were just as traitorous as the rest of her body was tonight.

“I know you hate me –,” she started, searching for some sort of apology that might satisfy him.

“I don’t hate ya, lass,” Chibs replied, his tone softer than she expected.

Her brows furrowed at that.

“You could’ve fooled me,” she murmured quietly, not quite brave enough to steal a peek back up at him just yet.

“If there’s one thing I hate, it’s bein’ lied to,” he confessed.

“I didn’t lie to you,” she pointed out, “I might not have just come right out and announced to you that my father was a former DEA agent, but I never lied to you, Chibs.”

He leveled his gaze at her, tearing his concentration from the road once more, and informed her, “Well it sure as hell feels like it.”

Tris just nodded. She could understand that. She remained silent, sensing that he wasn’t quite done venting yet.

“Ya know, the sad part is, I actually thought this just might go somewhere,” Chibs mumbled, almost as if he was speaking more to himself now than to her.

“Maybe it could,” Tris said, her voice just barely above a whisper.

And, if she was honest, she really wanted it to.

“Ya don’t understand, luv,” he countered, “It can’t. Don’t ya see? Yer da will never let ya see a man like me.”

“My father doesn’t dictate how I run my life,” Tris stated in a matter-of-fact tone, _“I_ decide what choices I make, not him.”

“I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way, lass,” Chibs told her, “Ya see, the club would never allow a member ta get caught up in somethin’ like that. Sure, gettin’ in bed with a cop is one thing. Plenty o’ members have done that. But it was all for the sake o’ the club.”

Tris’ eyes widened at that. Some of the Sons had slept with cops just to stay one step ahead of the game? She supposed it made sense. If they could gain the cop’s trust, they could gain pertinent information that might pertain to their club, their turf, or even their rivals. But she didn’t think she could get involved with someone like that without developing feelings for them in the long run.

That was where Trista and her twin differed. Jenelle could go out and sleep with a different guy every night of the week and not give him a second thought. But Tris…? Well, Tris had never slept with a man because she wanted to know that she meant more to him than just a quick fuck.

“My father wouldn’t have to know,” she tried to reason with him, “It’s not like he knows everything about me anyway. I live on campus, not with him. I keep myself busy with classes and work. I rarely visit home unless it’s for the holidays or when we’re on break. And I’ve never told him about my love life unless it gets really serious.”

“It’s not that simple, luv,” Chibs sighed, clearly frustrated, “Yer fuckin’ da is smarter than ya give him credit for. Ya really think he wouldn’t figure it out? He could take the _entire _club down. That club’s not just a means ta make money, Tris. The club is a way of life. It’s a _family. _And it’s the only one I’ve got. So yeah, takin’ a blow like that, findin’ out who yer da is, that became personal. And ya can bet yer ass that _he’ll _make it personal if he ever finds out that yer messin’ around with a Son.”

Tris shook her head, clenching her jaw shut tight as she turned to gaze out the window. She didn’t know why she was even trying to reason with this man. He _clearly _had no intentions of hearing her out. He’d already made up his mind.

“Sometimes the things you want the most in life are the things you know you shouldn’t have,” she stated.

“And what would you know about that?” Chibs questioned.

“I know all our mom ever wanted was for our dad to come home, to work a regular day job that didn’t require having to leave her alone with us kids all the time. I know that, when she’d finally had enough, we came home from school one day to find that she and all of her stuff was gone. I know the younger two of my brothers took it really hard when our mom bailed. I know my oldest brother fought a brutal battle against addiction,” she informed him, watching as his head whipped around to reveal dark eyes wide with surprise, “I know one of my brothers fought an uphill battle to get back in shape so that he could get back in the ring after he had three ribs broken in a fight. I know that my father lost a very close friend while he was working undercover on one of his cases. He got too close to one of the guys he was supposed to turn in and he had to make a choice, hand over his best friend or risk losing his job. I know that my father finally gave up his job because it was taking a toll on him, being away from his family for such long periods of time while someone else was raising his kids. But I know that he still struggles with bouts of restlessness now that he’s not an agent anymore. He misses it, I think, but he tries to keep himself busy with his new hobby, farming, of all things.”

She was surprised to hear him laughing at that. She offered him a small smile and continued on.

“I know that my father wants my sister to settle down with just one man instead of chasing after any of them that bats his eyelashes at her. Obviously, we’re still working on that one,” Tris joked, coaxing another chuckle out of the man beside her.

It was silent for a moment before Tris broke that silence once more.

“My father has taught me _many _things over the years,” she said, “But the most important lesson my father taught me is that you’ll never have _anything _in life unless you’re willing to fight for it. It shouldn’t matter what anyone else thinks. If you really want something, you go for it. _You_ make it happen. Otherwise, you’ll spend the rest of your life wondering what could have happened.”

Chibs gave a single snort of laughter at that, shaking his head as he countered, “Yeah. Easier said than done there, sweetheart.”

“What I’d like to know is how a man who claims to be a member of the Sons of Anarchy can be so easily swayed against something he claims to want. Apparently, you don’t want it all that bad if you’re not even willing to pursue it,” she accused, calling his bluff.

“You don’t know a _damn _thing about me, so don’t pretend ya do, princess,” Chibs snarled, his voice holding a clear warning as he directed that dark gaze at her once more, his eyes narrowed in anger.

“Well, I know that, despite the fact that I spent two hours enjoying myself in your company tonight, there’s a _completely _different man sitting beside me now,” she retorted, “A man that has no interest in getting to know anything else about me after he found out who my father was. We can’t choose our family or their professions, Chibs. My father is a good man, whether you think so or not. He would bend over backwards to help a person in need, and he taught his children to do the same. All you see is a name and a badge, and you want nothing more to do with me. I never judged you, Chibs, despite the fact that you probably have a rap sheet a mile wide. But you catch wind of my last name and you cast me aside, just like that? I can imagine how many people have shunned you over the years because of _your _‘associates’ or _your_ ‘affiliations’. And yet you do the _same _damn thing to me?”

He bristled at that. She knew she had him there.

“I liked ya better when yer mouth was shut,” he stated.

“And I liked you better when you thought I was nothing but a college girl looking for a good time,” she spat back.

** _**************_ **

Chibs stole another glance over at the little redhead beside him, finding a fire dancing in those pale, gray-green eyes that he’d had yet to see that evening. It was almost as if she was just _daring _him to slip up, to lose control. What she didn’t know was that he barely had a grip on it now as it was.

Feisty women had always been a turn-on for him, and this little redhead was no exception. But women had always been Chibs’ weakness, his very downfall over the years, and he knew better than to get involved with one that could risk bringing down the entire club, just by her association with her father. And yet, despite the fact that he knew it should have, that still didn’t help to slake his lust for the little redhead sitting beside him. She’d hit the nail right on the head with her earlier comment about him wanting what he knew he shouldn’t have.

But he couldn’t quite seem to sort out a solution to his current problem. He knew that he should just walk away, that he should make sure Tris got home safe like Clay had ordered and then walk right back out of her life. He knew that was what Clay expected of him, what was best for the whole damn club. And yet, a part of him _knew _that he would spend the rest of his days wondering what _could _have been. What did her lips taste like? What sound would spill from her lips if he pulled her against his body and showed her just how hard she made him? That same part of him somehow knew that she wasn’t the kind that he could just get out of his system, that once would _never_ be enough.

While Chibs didn’t know much about the little redhead perched beside him, he was smart enough to realize that there was no other woman like her out there. She was right. There was more to her than her last name. She was smart and charming and witty. She was beautiful and independent with a bright future ahead of her. She was determined, she was _stubborn,_ and didn’t hesitate to fight for what it was that she wanted. She was one of a kind. And his actions tonight would determine the course of their fate forever.

Chibs watched from the corner of his eye as she reached out to turn on the radio. She flipped through the stations until she settled on one that had just started playing a rock song before she settled back in her seat, gazing out the passenger side window. Chibs was surprised to discover that he recognized the song. Though it wasn’t the original by Duran Duran, it was a cover of their song Come Undone.

To his surprise, the little redhead started to sing along to the song. And hearing her voice was enough to make him jerk his eyes from the road and turn his head to gaze at her, his eyes wide with surprise as the little songbird beside him gave life to the classic song. That melodic, husky voice belted out every word, never missing a beat, as the unfamiliar band did their rendition of the unmistakable song. Never in a million years would he have guessed that she’d put Pat Benatar to shame.

“I can’t help but keep from falling apart… at the seams…” she sang, “I cannot believe you’re takin’ my heart… to pieces…”

When the song drew to a close, Chibs was a bit disappointed, but he discovered that the next song was another cover, this one of R.E.M.’s Losing My Religion. Tris’ voice grew louder as she sang along to that one, her voice more confident as she seemed to settle into the illusion of ignoring her fellow passenger. And, while he’d never admit it out loud, it was quickly becoming his new favorite song.

They drove on in silence, her choosing to ignore him and Chibs choosing not to interrupt her karaoke session. Despite the fact that he knew he should nip this whole little fiasco in the bud, he found that the little redhead was growing on him.

When they got halfway there, Chibs decided to stop at a drive-thru and grab a bite to eat.

“You hungry?” Chibs asked, fixing his gaze on Tris as he pulled up to the speaker.

She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before finally giving a nod.

“I guess I could eat,” she answered.

“What sounds good?” he questioned.

“I just want a shake and an order of fries,” she told him.

“That’s it?” he inquired, his dark brows furrowing.

Surely she wasn’t one of those girls that starved herself just to keep her figure. She didn’t really strike him as the type, if he was honest. She might have been short but she had _killer _curves. Hell she had a body like a backroad, the winding kind that he liked to take his time on, the wind blowing through his hair as he leaned with each twist and turn. Those were some of his favorite rides.

He was drawn from his thoughts when she spoke again.

“Usually, I’d get a burger, but I’ve already spent most of my money because I had to pay for Jenelle’s food too on our way down to Charming,” she explained.

He found himself rolling his eyes at that. That sounded like her airhead of a twin.

“Forget it,” Chibs said, “It’s on me.”

It was Tris’ turn to raise her brows at that as she questioned, “Oh, so now we’re back to being nice again?”

“Listen, just tell me what ya want, all right?” he sighed.

“Nope. Nope. False alarm. We’re not back to being nice again,” she commented.

“Fuck this,” Chibs huffed right before a girl spoke through the speaker, asking if she could take their order.

“Yeah, I need a bacon double cheeseburger with a large order of fries and a large sweet tea and I need a…” he started to order before stealing one last glance over at Tris and raising one brow at her for her to elaborate.

When she chose to remain silent, narrowing those pale, gray-green eyes at him slightly, he rolled his at her, finishing, “A cheeseburger with large fries and a large chocolate shake.”

“Is that all?” the voice called from the speaker.

“Yes,” he answered.

“Your total is $12.95. Please pull forward,” the girl told him.

“Yer welcome,” Chibs muttered, casting Tris a glance out of the corner of his eye as he pulled the car around.

“I suppose I owe you now?” Tris questioned.

“I paid for yer drinks earlier too,” he pointed out, “Did I ask ya for anything then?”

She grew quiet at that, staring at him for a moment as she bit her bottom lip.

“No,” she finally replied.

“I’m not a complete arse,” he stated in a matter-of-fact tone as he dug into his back pocket for his wallet to pay the girl behind the counter.

“After tonight, I think that’s debatable,” she retorted.

Chibs actually cracked a smile at that, shaking his head at the cheeky little redhead as he accepted his change and stuffed it back into his wallet.

Chibs handed the bag over to Tris and told her, “I’ll pull forward so ya can see what yer doin’. You figure out what’s what so ya can start eatin’.”

“What about you?” she asked, her crimson colored brows furrowing as she looked over at him.

“I’ll wait ‘til yer done,” he said.

She stared at him for a moment, her pale eyes flickering over his face as she tried to read him. But Chibs simply pulled forward so she could see into the bag that held their food.

He watched as Tris finally pulled her eyes from him to open the bag, peering into it and pulling out a burger.

She unwrapped it halfway, peeking inside, and handed it over to Chibs, insisting, “Here. Eat. When you’re done, I’ll hand over your fries.”

He cocked one dark brow at her but accepted his burger with a nod. At least she was attempting to be nice.

She fished back into the bag and pulled out the other burger, unwrapping it halfway once again and peeking inside. He couldn’t help but smile as he watched her scrunch up her nose and reach inside to peel off the pickles. She deposited them into a napkin and balled the napkin up to toss it back into the bag. Then she tucked the bag between her thighs and started in on her cheeseburger.

“Thank you,” she said between bites.

“Don’t mention it,” he told her, his voice holding a teasing tone as he stole a glance over at her and added, “Like ever.”

She giggled at that, the sound light and airy, and he couldn’t fight the smile that curled at his lips as he looked both ways before pulling back out onto the road.

** _**************_ **

_Sunday, October 25_

_2:23 AM_

_Jericho, California – Jericho University_

Tris sighed as Chibs pulled up in front of the townhouse she shared with her twin and her best friend. She stared at the building for a moment, wondering briefly if Jax had already dropped her sister off. If she was honest, she didn’t really care. Jenelle was the one that had gotten them into all of this trouble anyway. Tris hadn’t even planned to go meet Joey at the party, but Jenelle had just _insisted _that they go because he was the first boy that had ever invited Tris anywhere since they’d started attending JU. But, if she hadn’t tagged along, Tris never would’ve met Chibs either. And, while things hadn’t exactly gone the way she’d planned tonight, she didn’t exactly regret meeting the handsome Scotsman.

“Well thanks for the –,” she started to say before her pale eyes caught movement just outside of the front door of her townhouse, “Fuck…”

Chibs nearly choked on his drink, coughing and sputtering as he quickly set it back into the drink holder there in front of the console.

“I’m pretty sure I woulda remembered that, lass,” Chibs informed her.

If she would’ve stolen a glance over at him, she would’ve found him staring at her with his dark eyes wide, his brows hiked up his forehead. But she was too busy watching her father talking quite animatedly to her sister just outside of their townhouse.

Tris knew that Chibs’ eyes must have followed her line of sight though when she heard him mutter, “Ah _shite…”_

“Chibs, you need to leave,” she told him, her eyes finally finding him across the console of her sister’s car as the words all rushed out of her.

“Excuse me?” he asked, clearly caught off guard as he jerked his head back slightly at the quiet way she hissed the words out at him, “I just drove you three fucking hours –,”

“Shut up!” she whispered loudly, almost afraid that her father would be able to hear them clear out there in the parking lot, “Chibs, you need to go before he figures out I’m gone.”

“It’s a liddle late for that, now, idn't it?” he pointed out as the sound of Tris’ father and sister’s voices escalated.

“Do you _want _to get your ass thrown in jail?” she questioned.

“Well, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time,” he answered, “But no.”

“Then you need to leave. Like _right _now,” she told him.

The passenger side door of the car was yanked open then and Tris gave a startled gasp, nearly flying right out of her seat as she jerked her head around, expecting to find her father standing there. But she discovered none other than her closest friend and partner in crime staring back at her instead.

“What the hell are you still doing out here? Get your ass in the house before he figures out you were gone too!” Jay scolded, her voice just barely above a whisper, “He thinks you’re in bed!”

Tris’ brows furrowed as she wondered how in the hell she was going to sneak past her father. The man was like a fucking bloodhound on a scent. Now that he knew that her sister had broken not one but _several _of his rules, he would be watching the place like a hawk.

“Your bedroom window’s open. Now go!” Jay urged, practically pulling her out of the car and shoving her towards the back side of the townhouse before she stole another glance back at Tris' sister and father.

Tris ducked down and started sneaking for the back of the townhouse. She’d only made it a few feet when she felt a hand land on her shoulder, nearly making her shriek in surprise. She jerked her head around to find dark, chocolate colored eyes staring back at her.

Chibs brought one finger up to his lips in a gesture for her to stay quiet and she gave a jerky nod, feeling him ushering her across the lawn.

“Just keep low and stick to the shadows,” he whispered.

She couldn’t help but smile and shake her head at that. He’d _obviously _done this before.

Once they finally made it to the window of her bedroom, she breathed a sigh of relief. But that relief was short-lived when she discovered that she was now presented with a new challenge… getting in through that window and into her room.

She reached up for the window sill, wrapping her hands around it, but she found that she could barely see above the ledge when she pushed herself up onto her tiptoes. How the hell was she going to get up there?

Then she felt it, a set of large, strong hands wrapping around her hips. She was lifted up off of the ground before those hands found her ass and shoved her the rest of the way through the open window.

Once she was inside, she offered the handsome knight in black leather a smile of appreciation and, before she could allow herself time to think about it, she leaned down and pressed her lips to his.

His lips were softer than she had anticipated, warm and full. They tasted like Coke and whiskey and his scent – leather, sandalwood, sage, and cigarettes – engulfed her. She breathed him in deep, letting her lips linger just a moment longer, then she pulled back, whispered a slightly breathless “Goodnight”, and shuffled over to her dresser to grab some pajamas.

She’d just changed into her favorite, fluffy black pajama pants and a long-sleeved shirt with a Jericho University logo on it when her bedroom door was pulled open.

“I thought you were asleep,” she heard a familiar voice say.

She spun around to find her father standing just outside her bedroom door, propping himself against the door frame.

“I was,” she lied smoothly, “I just… had to pee.”

Her dad chuckled, shaking his head, and teased, “You’re too young to be waking up in the middle of the night with a screaming bladder. Give it like twenty years and three kids later.”

She laughed, shaking her head at him, and watched as his hazel eyes found her bedroom window.

His eyes narrowed slightly and he started right over towards it, asking “What are you doing with this open? You’ll catch a cold.”

Tris waited with baited breath, closing her eyes and sending up a silent prayer that her father wouldn’t look outside the window.

After a quick inspection, he pulled the window shut, latched it, and headed back across her room, dropping a kiss to the top of her head as he passed by.

“Well, I’ll get outta here,” he said, “Let you get back to bed. I love you, Trissie.”

“Love you too, daddy,” she replied, thanking her lucky stars that Chibs hadn’t been discovered.

** **

Later that night, when Tris was finally crawling into bed, after discovering that her father had turned on the tracking device on her sister’s phone so that he could keep tabs on her and given her an earful about breaking campus curfew, lying to him, and hanging out with a known criminal – and threatening to turn Jax in if he ever caught him anywhere _near _Jenelle again – she received a text message.

Hearing her phone buzzing on the nightstand, she reached out to grab it, her brows furrowing when she saw that the message was from an unknown number. She pulled open the message, her pale eyes skimming over the words on the screen.

_Well I sure didn’t expect that kiss, lass._

A smile curled at her lips as she realized that it was Chibs.

_Well I didn’t expect you to help me through the window. You turned out to be a regular knight in black leather._

She didn’t have to wait long for his response.

_I just couldn’t resist the chance to help a damsel in distress. You were OBVIOUSLY struggling. You’re SHITE at sneaking in by the way._

She laughed at that.

_And you’re probably TOO good at it._

_Maybe… Nice pajamas by the way. They make your ass look great._

She couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her upon reading that. She was quick to type out a response.

_Excuse me?_

_I didn’t stutter._

The cocky son of a bitch.

_See you around, Tris._

Her brows furrowed at that. What did he mean by that? He lived three hours away from Jericho.

_What do you mean?_

_Just what I said._

No response came after that and Tris sighed, setting her phone back on the nightstand and sliding back under the covers again.

Whatever that meant.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. For any of you that know me - and for those of you that don't - feedback is like Dove's chocolates for me. It's addictive and GREATLY appreciated. So if you have any comments, questions, concerns, or suggestions, PLEASE, by ALL means, feel free to voice them.


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